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A successful weightlifting activation campaign took place this weekend in Manama, the vibrant capital of Bahrain, during the FIBA 3×3 World Tour Final. Many stars and top lifters from the region (Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates) were involved in this promotional action, brilliantly organised by the Bahrain Weightlifting Federation.

Gor Minasyan (BRN) inspiring a young fan

Throughout the end of last week, local lifters were able to train in the fan-zone of the FIBA competition, showcasing the sport to the fans leading up to the 3×3 finals on November 21-22. During those two days, an exhibition competition was held, in a new mixed gender team event.

Present in Manama, the IWF First Vice-President Ursula Papandrea represented our International Federation, while IWF Athletes Commission Chair Forrester Osei was an enthusiastic MC of the weightlifting activities.

In the spirit of 3×3 competition, three platforms were available, and the teams also comprised three athletes. The exhibition attracted the attention of many fans with crowds gathering around the fan-zone to watch the lifters.

From left to right: Andreas Zagklis (FIBA Secretary General), HH Shaikh Issa Bin Al Khalifa (Vice-President of Bahrain Olympic Committee), Ursula Papandrea (IWF First Vice-President), and Eshaq Ebrahim Eshaq (President of Bahrain Weightlifting Federation and IWF EB Delegate)

On Saturday, on the FIBA 3X3 court and broadcasted globally, there was a “field of play” activation of our sport featuring Forrester Osei and Bahrain’s Paris 2024 Olympic bronze medallist Gor Minasyan, holder of the second heaviest snatch in weightlifting history, teaching fans how to master this movement!

Bahrain’s young stars Ingrid Segura, Jhon Lopez, and Adrian Granja, recent medallists at the Asian Youth Games, World Championships, and Islamic Solidarity Games, were also on the court throwing team Bahrain jerseys to the fans and interacting with them during the finals.

At the end of the weightlifting exhibition, a medal ceremony at the fan-zone (fully branded with the IWF, 3×3, and BRN WF logos) was held.

IWF Athletes Commission Chair Forrester Osei animating the weightlifting activities

After this event, Eshaq Ebrahim Eshaq, President of the Bahrain Weightlifting Federation and IWF Executive Board Delegate, was naturally a happy man: “This was an exciting opportunity for our sport as we had the occasion to present a very successful and innovative event. We hope to build on this for future mixed team, mixed gender events in urban settings that can bring our sport closer to the fans,” Mr Eshaq said.

Mr Eshaq Ebrahim Eshaq awarding a souvenir medal to a future champion

This initiative was held 11 months after the memorable organisation of the IWF World Championships in Manama, in December 2024.

Concerning the co-operation with FIBA 3×3, a similar activation campaign had taken place in Cangzhou (CHN), on October 18-19, during one of the legs of the basketball competition. Supported by the Chinese Weightlifting Association and IWF’s partner ZKC, two local lifters had provided an exhibition activity (showcasing the movements of snatch and clean & jerk), while inviting the fans of the event to join them on the platform.

The activation campaign in China

Actively engaged in the implementation of this IWF-FIBA partnership, IWF General Secretary José Quiñones also underlined the very positive outcome of this initiative: “Firstly, I would like to express IWF’s gratitude and appreciation to FIBA, but also to the National Federations of Bahrain and China, for making this possible. The 3×3 events are very popular and attract a lot of fans worldwide, and it was of course very positive for Weightlifting to be associated with this success. Besides the promotional purpose, it is also a precious learning experience for us on how to present our sport in a more innovative, younger, and urban way. It is an additional and important step forward in the direction we want to take our Sport!”

IWF Communications